Panaji: The Communist Party of India (CPI) accused the BJP, Congress and local Catholic church, of sowing seeds of communal hatred by using terms like "secular" in the run-up to parliamentary polls.

"The BJP and Congress are accusing each other as communal. In addition, Goa`s Catholic church has appealed to the people to vote for a secular party," CPI`s North Goa candidate Suhas Naik told reporters today during a press conference.

In the entire bargain, seeds of hatred are being sown by these organisations including the church, which is detrimental for the people of Goa, he said.
"This will be harmful for the future of Goa whose secular fabric has been left untouched by any kind of developments nationally," Naik said.

The CPI leader, who is also spearheading the agitation for resumption of mining, accused the RSS of masterminding the ban on iron ore extraction industry in the state.

"The RSS never wanted economically weaker people to be uplifted. The mining industry gave economic strength to this class which did not go well with the Sangh," Naik alleged.

Naik also alleged that religious institutions also opposed mining in the state.

"Religious institutions had issued a circular appealing to the BJP to oppose mining, if they wanted support to come to power," the CPI leader alleged.
He said if the CPI forms a government at the Centre, it would form a Goa Mineral Ore Development Corporation (GMODC) which would distribute shares of profits from the mining industry among all stakeholders.

"If the GMODC is formed, we can present a tax free budget, since the money collected from mining is enough to run the state," Naik said.